Isolation

Proposed Affirmations

To my hearing, cables make a significant difference ... but I understand that some people don't hear it. If people report that they don't hear a difference, they're being truthful about their perceptions. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. We all listen in different ways and have different sonic sensitivities and priorities. "Vive la Difference".

To my hearing, cables don't make a significant difference ... but I understand that some people believe that they do. If people report that they can hear differences, they're being truthful about their perceptions. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. We all listen in different ways and have different sonic sensitivities and priorities. "Vive la Difference".

To my hearing, equipment supports make a significant difference ... but I understand that some people don't hear it. If people report that they don't hear a difference, they're being truthful about their perceptions. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. We all listen in different ways and have different sonic sensitivities and priorities. "Vive la Difference".

To my hearing, equipment supports don't make a significant difference ... but I understand that some people believe that they do. If people report that they can hear differences, they're being truthful about their perceptions. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. We all listen in different ways and have different sonic sensitivities and priorities. "Vive la Difference".

To my hearing, Mana supports are the best ... but I understand that some people don't agree. If people report that they don't agree, they're being truthful about their perceptions. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. We all listen in different ways and have different sonic sensitivities and priorities. "Vive la Difference".

To my hearing, Mana supports are not the best ... but I understand that some people believe that they are. If people report that this is the case, they're being truthful about their perceptions. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. We all listen in different ways and have different sonic sensitivities and priorities. "Vive la Difference".

To my hearing, Naim amps are the best ... but I understand that some people don't agree. If people report that they don't agree, they're being truthful about their perceptions. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. We all listen in different ways and have different sonic sensitivities and priorities. "Vive la Difference".

To my hearing, Naim amps are not the best ... but I understand that some people believe that they are. If people report that this is the case, they're being truthful about their perceptions. It doesn't bother me in the slightest. We all listen in different ways and have different sonic sensitivities and priorities. "Vive la Difference".

To my hearing, Seventh Veil speakers are the best ... but I understand that some people don't agree. If people report that they don't agree, they're being truthful about their perceptions. They're just idiots.

 

The design of the uppermost part of a multiphase Mana stand is rather like a drum, with the glass (on which the equipment rests) equally supported upon 4 spikes, so that it acts as the taut drumskin.

The steel frame in which these spikes are mounted is coupled to the laminated wooden board below by four further tuned spikes, and in turn, the board rests on four spikes in the frame below it. This ensures that the board is also held taut like a drumskin .... and so on ... ad astra.

In the case of a Mana speaker stand, if you put your hand on any of the elements of the stand whilst music is playing, you will feel that all of them are vibrating in sympathy with the speakers. This observation shows that vibrational energy from the speaker cabinets is being taken up by the stand.

Ergo, the speaker cabinet resonance is being reduced by the Mana stand.

I don't think that this arrangement discriminates for or against any particular 'resonant pattern', and I would expect a Mana stand to damp resonances in any piece of hi-fi equipment.

 

I would add that the concept of "isolation" in hi-fi is sick & wrong because if you isolate a piece of equipment from its surroundings, then there is nowhere for the internally-generated vibrations to go.

 

But have you worked out whether getting rid of internally generated vibrations is more important than keeping out the externally generated kind? No stand works only in one direction.

 

Hence why I use 2

 

I don't think you can 'keep out' the externally-generated vibrations. But if the equipment is on Mana, the Mana will obviously drain those away, too.

This, btw, explains why adding more Mana is beneficial.

 

No it doesn't . If the Mana effect was about chanelling vibrations away from gear, the shortest "signal path" would be the best, i.e. Phase 1. And I can think of much more efficient ways of getting vibration out of a piece of gear - a nice stiff tube under each corner of the thing, or better still at the resonance nodes, with a spike on either end, for example.

Adding a Mana phase should lead to the mechanical equivalent of insertion loss; you are increasing the mechanical impedance for vibration.

I'm not denying that Mana works. But I'm not at all convinced it works the way you are hypothesizing.

 

Yes, but there's only so much vibration in each element of the stand: the glass, the steel frames, and the boards. They are all connected (coupled) to each other. Adding more phases below will reduce the amplitude of the vibration in both stand & equipment.

I don't think that the vibration is being 'channelled' anywhere but into the stand itself. There is very little resonance in my suspended wooden floor with the speakers on phase 7.

I know that I am right, btw.

 

Ok, I'll overlook, temporarily, the fact that you miserable sods are ignoring my enlightened attempt to bring peace and sanity to the forum and I'll address the issues in hand...

Some speaker cabinets vibrate more than others. Some floors are prone to vibration. These vibrations can be audible and can shake up the equipment which can also be audible. There are occasions when sinking the speaker vibrations into the floor -using spikes, for example - can be a good thing. Other times spikes can do more harm than good.

I honestly don't believe that any one solution can work best in all situations, that is in every room with every type of flooring, for all speakers and all equipment.

Even in the same room with the same equipment, different listeners have different preferences. We all listen to different things in different ways.

The question of vibration is a crucial one and needs to be addressed. How it's best addressed will depend on the precise situation and the tastes of the listener.

It is said that, when the Children of Israel were in the desert eating their mana from heaven, each experienced a different taste. To some the mana tasted like roast chicken, to others like strawberries and cream. I strongly suspect that if the Israelites had been audiophiles they would never have reached the promised land.

 

Steve, have you ever tried Mana? It doesn't discriminate between different pieces of equipment, it drains vibration from anything.

Quoting biblical mythology is not appropriate here.

 

No, not yet.

 

Well I would strongly suggest that you do.

 

Suggestion noted.

 

I meant that the improvement in sound with properly-implemented Mana is not a matter of opinion!

 

Absolutism?

 

Absolutely! Mains, cables, and of course the room and equipment used are also important, but Mana is where the really big gains are to be had.

 

Oh, yes, it is!

 

Tones, you are a very nice fellow, and I'm sure we'd get on if we met .....but..... and with the greatest respect....if you can't hear the difference between your LP 12 and your CD player, then either one of three things (or all three) is true:

1. There is something wrong with the LP12.
2. There is something wrong with the preamp.
3. You are a little hard of hearing.

 

Of course. Also coupling any vibrating object to a block of lead, concrete, glass, acrylic, marble, concrete or wood will also drain vibration.

Hmmm.